Stimulation for Bowel Emptying
The investigators are testing the effect of electrical stimulation of the rectum on colonic motility. Most individuals with spinal cord injury develop neurogenic bowel dysfunction, which includes slowed colonic motility, which means that stools take longer than normal to pass through the colon. This slowed movement may
| Condition(s) | Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction |
|---|---|
| Status | Recruiting |
| Phase | NA |
| Study type | Interventional |
| Summary | The investigators are testing the effect of electrical stimulation of the rectum on colonic motility. Most individuals with spinal cord injury develop neurogenic bowel dysfunction, which includes slowed colonic motility, which means that stools take longer than normal to pass through the colon. This slowed movement may result in chronic constipation and difficulty emptying the bowels. Individuals typically (without or without caregiver assistance) insert a gloved finger into the rectum and gently stretch it to improve colonic motility for a brief period to empty the bowels. The investigators hypothesize that electrically stimulating the rectum, instead of mechanically stretching it, will produce the same beneficial effect of improving colonic motility. Therefore, this study will compare th |
| Who can participate | Inclusion Criteria: * Suprasacral spinal cord injury * Diagnosed neurogenic bowel dysfunction and using digital rectal stimulation * Bowel routine requires at least 30 minutes or at least 3 cycles of digital rectal stimulation * Neurologically stable * At least 18 years old * At least 12 months post neurological injury or disease diagnosis Exclusion Criteria: * Active sepsis * Open pressure sores on or around pelvis * Significant colon trauma or colostomy * Crohn's disease * Colonic obstruction or gastrointestinal surgery within last 3 months * Significant history of autonomic dysreflexia |
| Ages | 18 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Lead sponsor | VA Office of Research and Development |
| Locations | Syracuse, New York, United States |
| Start date | 2024-05-01 |
| NCT ID | NCT06078176 |
| Official listing | https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06078176 |